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  Directed by
  Starring
    None Listed
  Specs
  • Widescreen 1.85:1
  • 16:9 Enhanced
  • Dual Layer ( )
  Languages
  • English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • French: Dolby Digital Stereo
  • Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
  Subtitles
    English, French, Spanish
  Extras
  • Deleted scenes
  • 2 Theatrical trailer
  • Cast/crew biographies
  • Production notes
  • TV spot
  • Documentaries

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Warner Bros./Warner Home Video . R4 . COLOR . 94 mins . M15+ . PAL

  Feature
Contract

Roger Corman's el-cheapo 1960 mock-horror flick Little Shop of Horrors first spawned a hugely successful off-Broadway musical. Then, 25 years after the Corman epic screened, came its final and probably most famous incarnation - the movie musical.

Mushnik's Flower Shop in the worst part of America - Skid Row - becomes the territory of the ravening monstrous plant Audrey Two, named by its discoverer, the totally nerdish florist Seymour Krelborn, after his dumb-blonde co-worker and object of his dreams.

Seymour is played by one of the greatest nerds in the business, Rick Moranis, and his co-star as Audrey One is Ellen Greene, who played Audrey for two years on stage. This is a seriously strong cast - coming along for the ride are Steve Martin, Bill Murray, John Belushi and John Candy. Bill Murray appears for a few minutes only as a masochistic lover of all things dental, but just about steals the film in that cameo.

The film's director is Frank Oz, who more recently directed a seriously under-rated movie, Bowfinger, but who will always be remembered for his inspired work with Jim Henson as part of the Muppet brigade - his many varied roles there included being the voice of Miss Piggy.

Nothing can really top the original Corman effort, but as long as you ignore direct comparison, the musical Little Shop of Horrors is good lightweight, though somewhat immature, fun. It's a film for teenagers which adults can sneakily enjoy as well - it's edging towards minor classic status in the specialist horror-musical market niche.

  Video
Contract

This is a very decent 16.9 anamorphic transfer from a good print. Colour saturation is excellent, and detail is fine with no annoying artefacts and no obvious edge enhancement used.

Hue and fleshtones are pleasingly natural. It is not an outstanding effort such as, for instance The Fifth Element, but the overall effect is eminently viewable for a film of this vintage.

  Audio
Contract

The 5.1 Surround Sound gives pleasing depth and warmth to what would originally have been two-channel stereo. Since there is no original two-channel English track here, a direct comparison can't be made, but nothing more is really needed for a film which doesn't really present anything special in the way of sound effects.

  Extras
Contract

Frank Oz's optional voice-over commentary track gives lots of detail and interesting incidentals to the making of the movie.

But much of what he says is covered more succinctly in the 'behind the scenes' documentary which is one of the better efforts of its kind - there's a lot of interest here, but watch only after you've viewed the movie as otherwise you'll learn too much too quickly, especially about the great skills which have been used to make and shoot the monstrous plant.

The out take scenes are in fact a film reel assembled by the crew for a party at the end of the original movie shoot - Frank Oz narrates it as he watches it again for the first time after that original screening.

The cast and crew biographies cover only half of the actors listed on the screen, and the two theatrical trailers are standard fare presented in only passable condition. But the interesting material presented in the 'making of' documentary makes up for the paucity of the other special features.

  Overall  
Contract

This is a good wet afternoon 'hire a movie' DVD. I doubt if it will find a permanent home in too many collections, but it's certainly worth the price of rental. It's lightweight, harmless movie ephemera, notable today mainly for its relatively early look at Steve Martin, Bill Murray, John Candy and company.


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      And I quote...
    "The musical version of Little Shop of Horrors is lightweight, somewhat immature fun. It's edging towards minor classic status in the specialist horror-musical market niche."
    - Anthony Clarke
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Panasonic A330
    • TV:
          Loewe Profil Plus 3272 68cm
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